Adjusting device



Sept. 12, 1944- A. J. STEPANOFF ADJUSTING DEVICE Filed 0st. 8, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR jllexe :75

HlS ATTORNEY.

Sept. 1944- A. J. S'YI'EPANOFF 2,357,914

ADJUSTING DEVICE Filed 00:. a, 1942 2 Shets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Ale v0 HI 5 ATTORN EY.

Patented Sept. 12, 1944 ADJUSTING DEVICE Alcxey J. Stepanofl, Phlllipsburg; N. 1., assignor to Ingersoll-Rand Company, New York, N. 'Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 8, 1942, Serial No. 481,280

1 Claim.

This invention relates pumps, and more particularly to an adjusting device for selectively varying the pitch of the vanes of a rotary pump.

One object of the invention is to minimize wear upon the elements serving to adjust the vanes.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar parts,

Figure l is an elevation of a centrifugal pump of a type to which the invention may be advantageously applied and a foundation, shown in section, to support the pump;

Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of an enlarged view of the pumpillustrating the manner in which the invention may be applkd thereto,

Figures 3 and 4 are transverse views taken through Figure 2 on the lines 3-3 and 4--4, respectively, and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, and at first to Figure 1, the pump, designated in general by 20, is of the. vertical, axial-flow type and shown extending into a pit 2| defined by a foundation .22 forpumping liquid 23 from the pit.

The casing 24 of the pump is shown'as consisting of ring-like sections, a number of which lie within the pit 2| and one section designated 25 lies above the pit 2| and has a flange 25 to seat. upon the foundation 22 for supporting the entire pumping mechanism. On the upper end of the casing section 25 is a motor 21, only a portion thereof being shown, for driving the rotative parts of the pump 28.

The pump is of the vertical type and the lowermost end of the casing 24 is flared to define a wide inlet opening 28 for the admission of liquid into the casing 24. The pump is also provided with a suitable outlet 28 shown as leading from the casing section 25.

Arranged within the casing 24 and in coaxial relationship therewith are upper and lower support members 30 and 31 that are spaced with respect to each other and connected to the casing 24 by ribs 32. In the uppermost support member 38 is a bearing 33 for a shaft 34 that may be secured, in a well known manner, to the shaft of the motor 21.

The shaft 34 terminates between the support members 30 and 3i and has a reduced end portion 35 that extends into a box 38 comprising a hollow body portion 31v of generally cylindrical shape and upper and lower covers 38 38,. respec-i tively, that are secured to the body portion 31 by screws 45. The cover, 33 has a depending, hollow extension 4i to receive the reduced end 35 of the shaft and a nut 42 threaded upon the shaft 34 acts against the lower end of the extension 4i for clamping the cover 38 against a collar 43 on the shaft 34. The box 35 is.held against rotational movement upon the shaft 34 by a key embedded in the extension 4i and the shaft,

The vanes 48 of the, pump are supported by the box 38 and the extension 41 andthese elements are respectively provided with radially extending apertures and 41 to receive bearing portions or stems 48 on the vanes. Between each vane45' and its stem 48 is a collar 48 that lies in a recess. 50 in the peripheral surface of the box 38 t'o'prelf vent movement of the vanes in the direction 6:; the shaft 34, and on the portions of the stems 48 lying inside of the box 38 are sleeves 5 i that, extend into the apertures 41 to serve asfrenevvfl-lable wearing surfaces for the stems 43., The" sleeves have collars .52- that seat against the inner surface of the box 38 and are secured to the stems 48 by pins 53.

Each collar 52 has a crank pin 54 that projects from the innermost side of the collar into a slot 55in a hollow block 58 arranged slidably', endwise, upon the extension 41. Exteriorly, the upper portion of the block 58' is of rectangular shape and the walls 51 of this portion of the block lie in the spaces 58 between the collars 52 and the extension 4i and have oblong slots 58 that extend longitudinally of the block to accommodate the sleeves 5i.

'I'he slots 59 are of only sligh ly greater width block against rotation with respect to the extension 4 i.

In' practice, and as will be readily apparent from the forego description, the adjustment of the vanes 45 is efiected by moving the block 58 endwise of the extension 4i. The means employed, in the present instance, for thus actuating the block are operated by manual force applied through an operating device 88 located at a point remote from the vanes. as for example upon the flange 28 of the pump 25. v

The operating device 88 may be of any/suitable type to impart reciprocatory movement to a rod 8i extending from the said device along the betweenthe rod 64 the movement or the rodto the block, The

a the lowermost a depending stem 13 upon the stem.

' 64 arrangedin tandem with the shaft and slidable in the support member 3| and extending into the lower portion of the box 36 to a point near the lower end of the shaft ll.

I As will be readily appreciated, during the operation of the pump, the vanes 45 are subjected to great hydraulic thrust so that their stems are forced heavily against their bearing surfaces in the box It and the extension I. A considerable ioroe is required for eflecting oscillatory movement or the vanes and it is, therefore, desirable that means be provided to reduce iriction between the rotary and non-rotary elements serving to actuate them in order that the, cooperating bearing surfaces or such elements may be protected against undue wear. To this end a thrust bearing 65 is employed as the connecting element and the block 56 to transmit thrust bearing is or the anti-friction type. It is arrangedin the lower end oi the block I. which-is accordingly provided with a recess it to accommodate its outer race 81. The inner race "is disposed upon a stem 69 .on the upper end'ot the rod 64, and a nut threaded upon theend oi said stem clamps the inner rac 68 firmly to the rod. A cover plate 1| fastened to end of the block 56, by screws 12, clamps the outer race 81 fixedly in position in the recess lo. I

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 5 the thrust bearing serving to transmit movement from the rod H to the block "is of the radial shoe type. It is located beneath the block SI and preferably within the support member II.

The block 58, in the present instance, has

sleeve I4 having a collar intermediate its ends, and a nut llthreade'd on the free end of the the sleeve 14 securely in position The collar It lies within a casing stem ll clamps upon which is arranged a the casing 80, is slidable longitudinally in the support member 3| whereby it is guided in axial relationship with the pump rotor, and on the upper end or the section 8! is an annular extension 81 that is suitably spaced from the ad- Jacent portion 01 the stem 13 to provide a path for lubricant between the thrust bearing and the box 36. The external surface of the extension 04 is in fluid tight engagement with the bore 88 in the cover is guided. I

The opposite end of the casing ll serves a! a seat for a flange 06 carried by the rod 64, and screws 81 secure the said vflanges to the casing II for connecting the rod 64 rigidly to the casing Jtion thereto and being to so that theentire thrust bearing assembly will move with the rod it whenever it is intended to vary the pitch of the vanes 45.

I claim: In an adjusting device, the combinationof a shaft and oscillatory bearing portions on the roposcillating thevanes to vary their impellins effect, a non-rotary actuator tor the block arranged in tandem with the shaft in spaced movable axially or the shaft for moving the block to oscillate the vanes, a thrust bearing connected to the block and the actuator for transmitting movement from the actuator to the block, and a casing on the opposed ends of the shaft and the actuator and rotatable with the shaft to enclose the thrust bearing and the bearing portions oi. the vanes.

ALEXEY J. BT'EPANOI'T. v

39 whereby the extension.

vanes. carried by the shaft, 181188;! block rotatable" with the shaft and movable longitudinally thereof 

